On the 31st March 2015, PMRDA was formed. Means around 3 years ago. In this period basic organizational setup was established.

On the 20 June 2017, PMRDA started working on the development plan for the region up to 2050. The first task was to identify the existing land use of 7,256.46 Sq Km. PMRDA area. It was done with the help of satellite imagery.

Then PMRDA cross-checked the satellite data with the land records of the revenue department of Maharashtra Government.

Now, PMRDA has authentic information of available land. To prepare a development plan for the available land, PMRDA formed Project Management Unit. Development experts - including professors & students of COEP - College of Engineering, Pune - are the members of this unit.

The PMU has completed 60 - 70 percent work and in the next 6 - 7 months the proposed development plan will be complete.

2) Comprehensive Mobility Plan:

Road and transportation network is the skeleton - framework - of the development plan. PMRDA has assigned L & T Engineering Services to do the survey and prepare comprehensive mobility plan for the PMRDA. It will be ready in the next 7 - 8 months.

3) 3 Layers of the Development Plan:

There are some 800 towns in 7,256 Sq.Km. PMRDA area. To prepare the strategy - concept - of the region, PMRDA is seeking the help of Singapore Government.

In the initial meetings with them, the preliminary framework based on logic and forecasts was developed.

How to manage the growth of PMRDA,
What should be the concept of the development, and
What should be infrastructure development strategy
for the next 50 years was discussed.

The highlight of it is - Identify 8 - 10 growth centers in PMRDA. Prepare detailed development of 100 - 150 Sq. Km. area around these growth centers. Just like detailed development plan of a municipal corporation.

It means that development plan of PMRDA will have 3 layers:

1) Concept plan - the improved version of a regional plan - of the entire PMRDA.
2) The detailed development plan of the 8 - 10 growth centers.
3) For the economic development of these growth centers, seed investment will be planned.

For example, PMRDA has identified Chakan as a growth center. There will be the detailed development plan of 100 - 150 Sq. Km. area around Chakan. And the seed investment in a logistics park in Chakan will be planned.

On the same lines, Hinjewadi and Purandar will have a detailed development plan and a seed investment in its economic plan.

If PMRDA receives all approvals, in "Magnetic Maharashtra' event at Mumbai in this February, most probably, MOU will be signed with Singapore Government.

4) Town Planning Schemes:

The government doesn't have enough funds to implement the development plan. So to raise the funds, PMRDA has revived the old & tested fundraising concept of 'Town Planning Schemes'. It will be a self-sustaining financial instrument which will generate funds for the implementation of the development plan.

PMRDA will pool the private lands - acquire the private lands.
Develop that land - means provide roads, water, drainage, electricity, civic amenities and other basic urban infrastructural services.
Return 50 percent developed land to the original landowners.
Auction 20 percent developed land to the private developers for the residential/industrial/commercial development.
Use the balance land for its own use.
In this process, PMRDA will earn 30 to 40 percent returns which it will use for the implementation of the development plan and develop next 'Town Planning Scheme'.

In just 4 months, PMRDA has prepared the first draft plan of the first 'Town Planning Scheme' at Mahalunge near Hinjewadi. And the first drafts of the six more TPS on the Ring Road are almost ready!

Town Planning Schemes - TPS - will be of various types - residential, industrial, commercial or even logistics.

Since the private landowners are earning benefits from 'Town Planning Scheme' farmers are not against it.

This model was successfully implemented in the development of Gujrat. Andhra Pradesh is using the same for the development of its capital city Amaravati.

In this way, for the next 30 - 40 years, PMRDA is planning to launch 10 'Town Planning Schemes' per year and raise funds to implement development plan up to 2050.

This will help to control the growth of development and to fulfill the needs of the population of PMRDA which will be around 1.5 Crores in 2050 - twice of the current population of 70 Lakhs.

5) Housing:

Public-Private Partnership & Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana will solve the problem of providing affordable housing of 300 & 600 Sq. Ft. to 1.5 crore population of PMRDA. In every 'Town Planning Scheme,' around 50-60 acres land will be available for housing. In which 5,000 - 6,000 flats of 300 & 600 sq.ft. will be built. If we make 10 townships per year, we will be able to provide 50,000 - 60,000 flats every year.

PMRDA will not construct the flats. Private builders will construct these flats. PMRDA will provide basic urban infrastructural services like road, drainage, water, amenities etc. to these housing projects. The builders' job would be only to construct flats and sell them at PMRDA approved rates.

This model will not only provide affordable housing with basic urban infrastructure but generate funds for the ring road.

6) Water:

PMRDA has done the study of the availability of water which will require for these townships. The study shows that we have 100 TMC water. Out of which some 65 percent is reserved for the agriculture. Since the area of the land under agriculture is reduced substantially, 65 percent water will not be required. PMRDA has already established its claim on the balance water.

Besides this PMRDA will have it's own water harvesting schemes.

This ensures that the water requirement of these townships will be fulfilled.

7) Waste Management:

Solid waste management is another important subject. PCMC & PMC are trying their best to find the solution to this issue. But rest of the towns in PMRDA don't have any system at all. PMRDA has decided to construct mid-size solid waste management plants - around 100 tons - for the cluster of 8 - 10 towns.

8) 11 Metro Lines:

Maharashtra Government has approved 23 Km long Hinjewadi Shivajinagar Metro Line. Soon Central Government will also give its approval. The development of the 4th, 5th & 6th phases of Hinjewadi IT Park depends on this Metro Line.

This 8,000 Crore Metro Line will be developed under 'PPT' - Private Public Participation. The Government will provide only 20 percent gap funding.

128 Km long 1st Pune ring road will be 110 meters wide. Ring road will have 8 lanes and Metro Line will at the center of it. 30-meter space is reserved for adding 2 more lanes to it in the future. and then there will be service roads on both sides.

In the next 2 - 3 months, PMRDA will acquire enough land to develop 8 - 10 Km road, and the construction of the ring road will begin.

There is one misconception about PMRDA. Some people are under the impression that the area which is outside of PMC & PCMC limits is only under PMRDA. But that is not true. Along with some 800 towns, these two municipal corporations are also under PMRDA.

11) What is Citizens' PMRDA?

C- PMRDA is citizens informal study group who believe that public participation is essential in the sustainable development of the city in which they live. Instead of complaining and confronting with the bureaucracy, C-PMRDA believes in contributing to the planning process. If you wish to join C-PMRDA to contribute to the development of PMRDA, please contact - 1) Vinay Hardikar - vinay.freedom@gmail.com 2) Hemant Sathye - hemantsathey@gmail.com 3) Nitant Mate - nitantmate@gmail.com

If you want my advice, feel free to call me on 919860044110. First 3 minutes are free! And for more than 3 minutes - pay as you wish - you decide the value of my advice.

Of course, for a serious discussion, better fix an appointment at a time convenient to both of us. So that we can have uninterrupted & in depth discussion on my mobile (919860044110)
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For more than 3 minutes and up to 30 minutes - pay as you wish. After the conversation - transfer the money to my bank account. As much as you wish. From a few hundred to a few hundred thousand crores of US Dollars or Indian Rupees. Here are my bank account details:

1 comment:

Good news for Puneties as Pune will now be having it's own greenfield airport like Bangalore & international flights too will start from here. It is commendable that this Govt got things moving in 1.5 years for which previous Govt slept for years as their only motive was to earn money by buying & selling land by creating such news of PROPOSED this & PROPOSED that.

Purandar airport plan gets Defence Ministry nod -

Pune will soon get its green field airport as the Defence Ministry has given its no objection certificate for the project. The NoC has sorted a major hurdle for the project and land acquisition can start.